Vehicle Guru's:2000 Nissan Xterra overheat at idle.

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oguruma

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Jan 3, 2010
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The vehicle in question is a 2000 Nissan Xterra V6 with about 110k miles. I have only had it for the last 10k miles or so, but it seems to have been maintained very well.

The scenario: I had gotten out of the car for maybe 10 minutes and let it idle to keep the AC running. I got back into the car to drive away and noticed that the Coolant temp was at the maximum. I immediately turned the car off and let it cool down to normal temperature. I was on a small little neighborhood, so I drove it around the block with the hot air vent on and drove for maybe 5 minutes. It didn't change above normal operating temperature during that timeframe.

I then drove the vehicle home maybe 10-12 minutes during some stop and go traffic with the AC and vent air off, and it maintained normal operating temperature during the whole timeframe.

Now my question is this: If the vehicle hasn't given me any problems (overheating, CEL, abnormal behavior) what is the likelyhood that something was damaged? I know that an overheating car can damage the headgasket, as this is what happened with an old crappy bmw I had a long time ago.

What is the most likely cause of the overheating? The only incident I had with the car overheating was once a long time ago I was stuck in a traffic jam and it started to overheat; it was just above normal operating temperature and I turned the vent on, and it went back to normal temperature. Could this overheating at idle and low speeds maybe be that the fans aren't turning on? Is that enough to make a car overheat that much? Maybe the low RPMs aren't getting the waterpump going?

Any input is greatly appreciated.

I will check the coolant level when the vehicle cools down.

Thanks
Jeremy
 
Could this overheating at idle and low speeds maybe be that the fans aren't turning on?
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Yes.

Is that enough to make a car overheat that much?
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Yes.

That's the first thing to check. If the fan isn't coming on, that's your problem.
 
Update: Vehicle at normal operating temperature, fan comes on. Checked coolant once the vehicle cooled, and it took about 2/3 of a gallon of water including the radiator and the coolant overflow. Is this substantial enough of an amount to cause the vehicle to overheat at low speeds/idle? Maybe the waterpump wasn't able to pump the water efficiently enough, given the lack of coolant and low RPM?
 
I agree start with a new thermostat then maybe have the radiator flushed...had a problem like this with my suv.
 
My dad had a problem with his Maxima. He tried everything and finally discovered the radiator was plugged and coolant was not flowing thru it properly. He replaced the radiator and all was well.
 
Odd that problem settled driving around, more power output and should put greater demand on cooling system. Still, radiator the most likely problem at that mileage.

Where has the water gone? Was the overflow tank overflowing? That is, did the coolant go when it overheated this time or are you losing coolant somewhere else?
 
We had two trucks at work doing that same thing.At idle overheat but at high RPM they were fine.The problem with both of them was that the fins in the water pump were rusted away.The pump did not move enough water at idle to cool the engine.
 
It's unlikely but I've also seen air pockets in the cooling system cause problems like this. That usually only happens after it has been drained and refilled though.
 
My ex girlfriend owned a 2003 Xterra and it did the same thing, so take this with a gain of salt.
The water pump in her vehicle was not pumping water, in fact it was stuck to some extent. The mechanic she went to explained to her that a 50/50 mixture of coolant was recommended. Do NOT add just water to your radiator, it will only dilute the coolant and make it even less effective. While the water pump is off, you might as well have them replace the timing belt. It will be a few bucks more. Later on if the timing belt does go out, they will have to tear the water pump out anyway, costing you twice as much.
 
oguruma said:
Update: Vehicle at normal operating temperature, fan comes on. Checked coolant once the vehicle cooled, and it took about 2/3 of a gallon of water including the radiator and the coolant overflow. Is this substantial enough of an amount to cause the vehicle to overheat at low speeds/idle? Maybe the waterpump wasn't able to pump the water efficiently enough, given the lack of coolant and low RPM?
Click to expand...

Sitting at idle with the AC on is a strain on the cooling system. It used to be enough to overheat any auto engines. Nowadays the cooling systems are better but sitting at idle is still a strain. Whether 2/3 of a gal fill-up on the coolant is enough that without it the engine overheated likely depends on the individual system. So the answer on that one is "maybe".

If it were I, I'd try to re-create the problem with the radiator full (run the A/C while idling for a spell). If it gets hot, check the fan before you shut it off. That will give you more information.
 
Sounds like your water pump is dying/dead. Could also be a plugged radiator(less likely) or thermostat(very cheap to replace for peace of mind).

Its always a good idea to find a good online forum for your vehicle that has a search feature. It will allow you to look up known issues or replacements.
 
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